THE mother of a sexual assault victim has called for tougher sentences for offenders.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The woman, who did not want to be named, said she was sick of seeing offenders handed lenient sentences.
"As a parent who has gone through it, it's upsetting and it makes me quite angry," she said.
"My daughter has repercussions from it and will continue to do so for many years to come."
The woman said the sexual abuse had affected the way her daughter interacted with others.
"I believe more should be done to protect them and more to deter offenders," she said.
The woman said her daughter suffered from panic attacks and had difficulty trusting people.
She said she was horrified when the person found guilty of sexually assaulting her daughter was given a community corrections order instead of a custodial sentence.
Read more:
"I believe the punishment should be harsher because otherwise it's not a deterrent," she said.
"The victims have lifelong issues. I believe a custodial sentence may have made my daughter feel safer at the time."
The woman also said society needed to stop victim blaming by implying the person targeted by the offender contributed to the criminal activity.
"It is never their fault - particularly when it comes to child sex offences," she said.
The woman said the state government should also invest more money into Centres Against Sexual Assault (CASA).
"I have nothing but respect for CASA - they are fantastic but I think they need more funding," she said.
"They're underfunded and it's really sad."
CASA research reveals only about 17 per cent of reported sexual offences result in a conviction and only one in six reports to police of rape result in prosecution.
"The victims have lifelong issues. I believe a custodial sentence may have made my daughter feel safer at the time."
- Sexual assault victim's mother
Research by White Ribbon Australia reveals one in five women have experienced sexual assault since the age of 15.
Another victim of sexual assault told The Standard in 2017 the laws should be tougher.
The man who raped her was sentenced to six years in jail.
"I think he should have got 15 years," she said.
Liberal Party politician Matthew Guy has previously called for mandatory minimum jail sentences for child sex offences.
He called for sentences of between 10 and 15 years.
Mr Guy said the current justice system was broken and needed to change because it was failing victims.
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.